makeup brushes – the Spiff

bare minerals, Beauty, makeup, makeup brushes, west town mall

The Makeup of the Future is Here and It’s Awesome

June 1, 2015 4 Comments

Full disclosure: I’ve left Bare Minerals before to try and find a better foundation. Actually, that’s half disclosure. Full disclosure is that I’ve left them twice in the past 4 years to play the field a little bit.

And “play the field” is the absolute best way to put it (why thank you) because I never had a good reason for leaving. I just wanted to try new things, sew my wild makeup oats.

The truth is I never strayed very far, because in all of my research and in testing other products I consistently found Bare Minerals to be the best.

My number one requirement? Match my skin tone. I switched to Bare Minerals because my last foundation was taking up too much of the spotlight. Not only does Bare Minerals blend well, but the original formula has SPF, leaves a gorgeous glow-y sheen (something I really missed when trying other products), and is made up of only FIVE ingredients.

One of the biggest selling points of this makeup to me was the fact that you can fall asleep in it and it won’t harm your skin. Now, I’ve never fallen asleep in my makeup ever EVER (and neither should you, young lady), but knowing that this stuff is that natural really gave me peace of mind.

But truthfully my goal wasn’t to talk about their foundation, I want to talk about some of their other great products…

They have a new brush bar that’s filled with luxurious brushes you are going to wish were king size so you could take a nap inside them.

Oh yeah and they also work really well to distribute product on your face (you know, that’s kind of a big deal). As I’ve said so many times before, brushes really take your makeup job to the next level and can easily and quickly give you more of a professional look.

And let’s pause for a moment of gratitude for the fact that they’re all reasonably priced around $30 or so.

Next on the list of things to try? Their lip gloss. It’s hydrating and wonderful and think of all the combinations you could create with this set!

Finally, their Primer.

Let’s say you’re not a believer in primer and that you think it’s a waist of time. If that’s the case then you probably don’t have wrinkles you’d like to minimize, or uneven skin tone you’d like to hide. I guess you’re living the good life with perfectly moist skin that’s not too oily and locks onto your foundation all the day long.

If any of those things describe your face – go ahead, live your primer-free life. You deserve it, Fancy Face.

Everyone else? Let’s prep our skin. This stuff goes on so smoothly and, depending on the formula you choose, can brighten your skin, even out redness, control oil, smooth away flakes, and set the stage for a flawless performance from your foundation.

Bare Minerals isn’t paying me to say this. I’m just a consumer truly happy with a product, and I think you will be too. They’ve got lots of great products in their store so check them out in West Town Mall right behind Starbucks.

If my word isn’t enough (as golden and true as it is, how could it not be?) what about a little deal sweetener…this weekend is Friends and Family discount days where you get 20% off (Friday, June 5th – Sunday, June 7th).

The fullest disclosure? That’s a deal.

Beauty, makeup, makeup brushes

Where to Save and Splurge with Your Beauty Products

May 12, 2015 No Comments

In a dream world we could splurge on everything and it wouldn’t affect our budget. Unfortunately that isn’t the case. We run out of everything at the same time, our panty hose run and our hair looks fantastic the day before our hair appointment – such is life. So we have to strategically splurge and save in order to get the most for our money and look.

My general rule of thumb is to splurge on your base products, save on the “fluffier” ones. I’ll explain that here in a second.

First, keep in mind the fact that when you spend a lot of money on a product, it is going to go a lot farther so your cost per use might be about the same as a cheaper product.

Now let me show you what I’m talking about…

Moisturizers: Splurge

It’s the first thing you put on in the morning and the last thing you put on at night. They sit on your skin for long periods of time and have long-term effects on your skin. Here’s what I use…

Artistry Brand Night Cream – one of the highest rated brands in the beauty industry. It runs around $100 (click here to get more info about purchasing). At night your skin cells are turning over while you sleep, which makes it even more important that you have quality ingredients helping your skin repair itself.

Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate – Facial oil that also helps while you sleep. It’s going to really moisturize and help stave off wrinkles as well as help with putting good oil on your skin so that it doesn’t have to work hard to produce its own (which ends up in a breakout). This is around $50 at Kiehl’s.

Neutrogena Day Cream – while it’s not as expensive, it is a higher end drugstore product ringing in at $20. It’s got SPF and Vitamin C which helps keep your skin tone look radiant.

With all the money you’re spending on these moisturizers you can save it when it comes to face wash and body lotion.

Face Wash, Body Lotion: Save

Cetaphil: I’ve heard and read so many good things about this brand. And I’ve gotten from multiple sources that dermatologists recommend it. I’ve also tried a wide range of brands when it comes to face wash and this stuff does just as good of a job as the expensive brands. It’s only $6. The lotion is great as well, it really puts the moisture back in your skin without being greasy (it’s around $10).

Makeup Brushes: Splurge

To get the most professional looking makeup, you’ve got to have great brushes.

A cheap makeup brush isn’t going to last you as long, it’s not going to leave the product on your face well, and it’s going to start shedding little hairs all over your face.

Sephora has a great selection, MAC and Bare Minerals are also great places to go. I have an angled eye brush from MAC that I’ve been using every day for over 5 years and the bristles are still strong and useful. I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of it.

Mascara, Eye Makeup Remover: Save

Save some cash with your mascara and eye makeup remover. I’ve tried different expensive brands of eye makeup remover that do work great – but this Target brand does just as good of a job and it’s around $3-4 (and sometimes it comes in a two pack at a deal).

Same things goes for mascara. Sure there are some expensive brands out there that are going to be awesome, but with something like this that you have to replace every 3 months, go with a cheaper brand that’s going to work really well. I love this Loreal Voluminous mascara more than I’ve loved bigger brand name mascaras that promise all these different things but don’t deliver.

This one gives me full lashes, allows me to touch up without becoming crunchy and comes off easily at night.

I hope this has helped spread our your beauty budget as well as give you ideas on how to best take care of your skin!

Beauty, makeup, makeup brushes, Videos, wbir

Cute Babies and Clean Makeup Drawers

April 17, 2015 No Comments

A lesson I’ve learned this week, is babies will come into the world when they’re good and ready.!

This little beauty (my niece from my husband’s sister) surprised us a few days early which threw off our week (in the best way possible). Her name is Delaney! I can already see where she’ll be fun to shop with, and be able handle her little boy cousin who will join her in a few months!

I gave you a cute baby to look at so that you’ll overlook the fact that this post is going to be short and sweet.

Please enjoy my segment from a couple weeks ago when I talked about cleaning out your make up drawer. It’s such a necessity since we’re putting these things on our FACE. And it’s going to completely revolutionize how you get ready in the morning.

I know that’s a strong statement, but cleaning out your makeup and only having what you’re actually going to use AND seeing it organized will send you out the door feeling like super woman.

Beauty, makeup, makeup brushes, wbir

8 Makeup Brushes I Wouldn’t Live Without

March 23, 2015 No Comments

Spring has arrived! The birds are singing, trees are starting to bud and all of the people complaining about winter and snow have finally put a sock in it. ;)

Sure, spring is great. It’s beautiful, blah, blah, blah. But I’ll miss my snow, boots and tights!

So all you winter-haters out there, let’s put your money where your mouth is and start talking spring cleaning! It’s a great time to deep clean, refresh and re-evaluate your beauty routine. Which is perfect because today I’m going to talk about the makeup brushes you need. There are 8 of them to be exact.

Opinions on this subject may vary, depending on who you talk to (or whose blog you read), but these are the 8 brushes I’ve found to be the most helpful in my beauty routine. And one thing everyone everywhere will agree on, is that a good makeup job is highly dependent upon the type of brush you use and it’s quality. So if you’ve been frustrated with how your eye shadow looks, it could be entirely based on the brush you’re using.

5 eye shadow brushes that will make your life easier…

1. Fluff Brush: this is a bigger brush used for depositing color all over your eye lid. This one you’ll use almost everyday, since just one sweep of subtle color is perfect for a daytime look.

2. Shader Brush: this brush gives you more control and helps add color closer to the lash line (above and below) and in the corners of your lid. Which leads directly to the next brush…

3. Tapered Blending Brush: once you’ve used the Shader Brush to deposit a little bit of color in the corners of your eyes, you’ll want to use this one to blend that color across your crease.

4. Pencil Brush: I love this brush for smudging shadow and getting a smokey look around my lash line.

5. Angled Liner Brush: truly, I couldn’t live without this guy. This is how I apply my eye liner everyday, and fill in my eyebrows. It may look daunting, but once you use it a lot it’s precision will be invaluable.

3 Brushes you need for your face…

1. Powder/Foundation Brush: depending on how you apply your foundation, you may or may not use this one a lot. I’m a die-hard Bare Minerals lover, so I love this brush for adding and buffing that mineral powder onto my face. If you’re adding powder on top of a liquid foundation, you wouldn’t need a brush that’s packed this tightly.

2. Bronzer Brush: DO NOT use a bronzer brush for anything but bronzer. And, by the way, you should be using a little bit of bronzer all year. I love the fluffy bristles of this one because it allows me to add bronzer in a less precise way which allows me to contour my face without looking like a Pinterest tutorial picture.

3. Blush Brush: an angled blush brush like this will really help you to add blush to your cheek bones like a pro.

A good brush can really elevate your beauty routine from DIY to “done by a professional.”

Tune in to FOX43 tomorrow morning at 8:30am to see how I clean and organize these brushes and all my other beauty products!

Beauty, makeup, makeup brushes, packing

All the Makeup You Need to Pack

June 27, 2014 No Comments

Four words I’ve never heard anyone say, “I really enjoy packing.”

That’s because no one enjoys whittling down their possessions to what they “think” they’ll need while away from home, and cramming it all in the tiny space of a suitcase. But if that’s the most amount of work I have to do for a few days of relaxation, I’ll suck it up.

Here I showed you four dresses that could get you glamorously through a weekend away. Today I’m going to show you that all you need to pack in your makeup bag are these six items…

1. CC Cream – Give your foundation a break and let your skin breathe a bit by just packing a high powered cream. Most versions give you great coverage, evens your skin tone and moisturizes. So don’t fight me on this, just pack it.

2. Maybelline Color Tattoo in “Bad to the Bronze” – This eye shadow is basically what my lids live in during the summer. It’s got the right amount of shimmer, goes great with a tan, doesn’t crease, and can be layered up for a more dramatic effect. It’s the black t-shirt of your makeup bag.

3. MAC Black Eyeshadow in “Carbon” – When you’re packing lightly you need products that can pull double duty. This can be layered on as an eyeliner during the day, and can live inside your water line for a smokey eye at night. It’s totally awesome like that.

4. MAC Small Angled Brush #266 – I use this brush only… everyday. It’s the best for filling in my brows and creating the perfect cat eye. It’s also great for getting liner and shadow right there where your lashes meet your lid, giving you a fuller lash effect. Sounds like this little guy wins a ride on the vacay-bus!

5. L’Oreal Mascara – Even though you’re on vacation, people are still going to need to see your lashes! Remember mascara, forget the lash curler. It takes up room and you can give it a rest (unless you’re one of those weirdos that loves curling lashes).

6. Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush – Saying the name is a vacation in and of itself! The great thing about this blush is you can apply it with two fingers, which means you can leave your blush brush at home with a bag of potato chips and the Netflix password.